Hi My 13yr old dog has suspected LarPar and is due in the vets tomorrow for an xray to see if his lungs are clear and hopefully to check for larpar. I have been told a tieback would cost £2500/£2700 which would included a CT scan. I'm not entirely sure what the CT scan is for though. He had Asp Pneumonia about 18mths/2yrs ago and recovered well enough from that, then developed severe constipation but he is through that and now has this. Aside from his breathing he is very alert and doesn't look like he wants to give up the Vet is saying if i don't do surgery then my only option is PTS. I'm not confident that i am getting the best advice and have only just joined my vet. Does he need a CT to diagnose LarPar? what would they be looking for they wouldn't find through looking down his throat? I can understand the xray as they want to check for any lung tumours just in case. Also if he is pts then they wont allow access in the surgery, and can sedate in the car park but final injection is done in the vets without me. I did ask why and was told that its difficult to get he dose right and it take a long time to administer, but i was under the impression that it was quite quick (and when I had a cat pts years ago it was seconds) and that felt like a bit of a fobb off tbh. And given that he has had AP in the past, which i am wondering now may have been due to partial paralysis but he didn't present with any significant symptoms at the time, would he be at a high risk of getting it again because of surgery or would the risk be the same as any other dog having the surgery. I'd suspect the likelihood of recovery if he does get AP again is slim, and if it is neurological in cause how much longer could he have. So what do I do? what would you do? any advice or help appreciated, my appointment is at 8.30 tomorrow and only spoke to the vet at 3pm.
So sorry, I have only just seen this and think you have been back to the vet. I dont know about Lar Par, but I have had 4 dogs put to sleep. 3 at home and one in the vets garden. The 3 at home were huge dogs 60 plus kg and all were peaceful and quick. My last dog was a tricky dog for many reasons and the problem was sedating him before he was euthanized. It was not easy but I never left his side. My other dogs did not need sedation and I would suspect a lab would not. I think it is down to your vet, but I would not leave my dog at the end. I hope you got some helpful answers from your vet.
Hi Esther I was wondering did you go back to the vets or get a second opinion? I have just had the diagnosis for my Bella who is 12 1/2 lab/collie. It was a shock as she only went for her booster and the vets picked up on her breathing, we thought she was still recovering from a walk the previous day as she is elderly and a little over weight. She had a test done today which they put her under to check the skin flaps and it showed one was paralysed and the other there was very little movement. My vet said that there are 2 options, one is to try and manage the condition but be aware that it is progressive, and two is to have a tie back operation and for that she is better to be referred to a specialist as the operation is tricky and can have disastrous complications. Managing the condition includes things like no collars and use a harness for walking that doesn't go around the neck, not over doing exercising so no running that will put extra pressure on her breathing and try not to allow over heating. He is going to speak to the specialist and we will discuss the options further. He didn't mention a CT and she didn't need a CT for a diagnosis. Best wishes
